It is nearly three years since members of the British Medical Association (BMA) first called for fossil fuel divestment.

Despite passing a resolution on climate change that referenced divestment in 2014, there has been no commitment made to begin the process.    In that period the World Medical Association has called on its members to divest (of which the BMA is one), the Canadian Medical Association has completed the process, and major health institutions worldwide have begun the process.    Case studies of all of these can be found on our dedicated divestment website: fossilfreehealth.org.   There is now no excuse for inaction in the face of calls to divest: the ethical argument has only got stronger in the last three years as evidence grows of the health impacts of climate change.   Meanwhile the financial argument is made stronger by the Paris agreement to cut carbon emissions in line with 1.5-2C warming, meaning that most fossil fuel reserves will become ‘stranded assets’.

To mark Global Divestment Mobilisation Week 2017 (6-13 May) Medsin are organising a letter from medical students calling on the BMA to demonstrate climate leadership and divest fossil fuels.

If you are a health or medical student please support the call by signing this letter, which will be sent following Global Divestment Week and ahead of this year’s Annual Representatives Meeting of the BMA in June.